


The Titan Forest

by faeliya



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Other, Titan Forest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-11 04:29:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12927468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faeliya/pseuds/faeliya
Summary: His friends thought him crazy, some brazen enough even told him so directly. However, Eren wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise, he was going to live in the Titan Forest and take care of the trees and maybe the pack of wolves that keep staring at him from afar, cause, why the fuck not?





	1. Disturbance

**Author's Note:**

> If woods and forests creep you out, might be horror for you then? Proceed with caution.
> 
> So, when I was in college, I had an epiphany that I was gonna live in the forest and take care of the trees and wolves. I even declared the major and took the introductory classes and all. A semester later, I was like, what the fuck am I doing? And so I got back on track after that, a more realistic track at least.
> 
> I also have a habit of mass producing different fics and then forgetting about them, like I did with my Free! fics... But I really have somewhere to go with this one, so let's hope I stick around long enough to actually get this where I want it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /dəˈstərbəns/  
> temporary change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem

Just like the name, The Titan Forest was a gigantic area dominated by 80m tall trees. Dense with foliage and large branches that could obscure sunlight completely in broad daylight, the forest was inhabitable by most human means. Unless, you were a suicidal bastard like Eren Jaeger who was determined to live in the forest and restore the ecology.

Before leaving Sheena, Eren’s friends tried to convince him to stay in the city, to live a normal every day life in a suffocating office with incompetent coworkers and upper management assholes. Their arguments weren’t convincing at all to say the least.

While he was in school and college, Eren found it difficult to fit in. He wasn’t interested in studying or learning, and even if he was he pretty much sucked at it if his grades weren’t already a dead giveaway. So when he spent an entire year undeclared and almost on the brink of failing, he had an epiphany. Eren was going to find a way to live comfortably without having to worry about conforming to society or find his respective place in the bustling city life. He was going to become a warden.

When he told his two best friends his plans, Eren would never forget Armin and Mikasa’s reactions. Armin looked ghastly pale and dumbfounded, looking at Eren as if he had lost his mind. Mikasa simply hung her head low, a gloomy aura surrounding her. His friends didn’t take his news too well, but they respected his decisions like they always did and didn’t try to persuade him too much. At least, until he really decided to proceed to live in the forest and not just any forest, but the Titan Forest.

“Are you seriously considering moving out there, Eren?” Armin asked seriously for the twelfth time that week. He still couldn’t wrap his head around Eren wanting to care for trees. _Plants. Wildlife._ This was the kid who almost failed Horticulture 101 because he forgot to water his peperomia 1.

“For the last time, yes, Armin.” Eren sighed, tired of hearing the same question from not only Armin, but Mikasa as well.

After graduating from Trost University two years ago, Eren failed to secure a solid career of some sort and was forced to work a handful of part-time jobs to make rent and loan payments, embarrassingly enough. Although he was doing slightly better compared to those times as a salary worker in a shitty office, but Eren hated it there.

So, when a Hange Zoe’s flier came in the mail one early morning before work, Eren was at it again with his _epiphanies_ , as Mikasa liked to call them. That very morning he called his crappy workplace to inform them of his permanent leave as he sent an email of interest to Professor Zoe. Eren hadn’t been this excited and rejuvenated since he first came to Sheena from his small hometown of Shiganshina.

“What are you going to do about your loans, and bills?” Armin bombarded Eren, clearly worried for his friend, but at the same time tired of having baby him at times.

“It’s all been paid for already.” Eren informed Armin, albeit smugly. Professor Zoe promised to have all his expenses paid while he was on leave to help with her research. There were no strings attached to it too, Eren made sure of that, aside from the fact that he might inconsequentially die in the forest, but that was less that a 2% chance.

Armin groaned, “Eren...” The said male whirled around to face the blonde, “What?” Armin fixed his best friend with a withering look, “I know things haven’t been the... _best_ ,” Armin chose his words carefully since this was a delicate subject for Eren, “since you graduated, but living in the middle of a forest where no man dares, just to get by? I didn’t think it was that bad, what was going on...” Armin finished cautiously.

And that was what ticked Eren off about his friends sometimes. They were able to fit in effortlessly. Armin found his calling as a professor at their own university they attended together, researching and teaching others about his passion. Mikasa, although aloof and cold, traveled the across the world as a renown athlete. She competed in national and regional competitions that Eren couldn’t even afford to go see, so their communication was mostly limited to social media or other online connections.

His whole life, Eren had been stumbling through life unsure of himself. He didn’t have an ardent fervor for one thing like Armin, nor was he gifted in something extraordinary like Mikasa. Eren was just average. However, he didn’t want to be average was the thing. He didn’t want to work as an office worker his whole life, be stuck in a smothering city filled with smog, expectations, and ideals that he didn’t like. That he couldn’t meet no matter how much he tried cause it just felt so wrong to him.

“It wasn’t!” Eren corrected. “I just... I can’t do this anymore, Armin. You’re the only one that understands the most about this, and I promised you I’d try, and I really did...” Eren implored, eyes somewhat glassy from the unshed tears gathering, “But I can’t. It just feels wrong. I’m not happy working at that place and I’m always so envious of you and Mikasa, all the others. You guys make it look so easy, but here I am, unable to even do the simplest of adult things...”

Eren tried over the years to explain what he felt, what he lacked, what was missing, to his best friend, but there were no words for it. Still, Armin tried his best to help in any way he could. However, sometimes Eren felt Armin was at wits end with him, so Eren tried to live this “normal” life everyone talked about just to appease society and not worry those around him. And it almost worked too, until it didn’t anymore.

He couldn’t lie to himself anymore. It was time Eren took charge of his own life.

“I won’t be gone for long. It’s just a year. Professor Hange even made it clear that if at any point I wasn’t comfortable living in the forest, I could terminate the contract without any repercussions. They seem like a good person.” Eren reasoned with Armin, trying to appease his best friend’s logical side as oppose to any emotional state since there weren’t any good memories and outcomes with that based on their previous conversations.

It seemed to work too, since Armin paused to contemplate Eren’s words.

“...What did Mikasa say?”

Eren was expecting this question, so his lie was as smooth as the satin pants rubbing against his backside. “Same thing you said. She wanted to know your input. You’re the ultimatum.”

Armin was still in deep thought even with Eren’s lie. The brunette hoped his friend wouldn’t call her on the spot, or else he was dead—death by his friends or working in that office. As the time began to pass, Eren could’ve swore he was visibly sweating. If Armin looked close enough he could see him lying through his teeth.

“Well. When do you start then?” Armin finally spoke. Expression stiff, but still happy for Eren’s future prospective, whether it be grim or good.

The car rolled to a stop in front of a rather rundown cabin, interrupting Eren’s thoughts. The drive had been rather long, at least five hours. They left when the sun had just rose, and now it was sunnily shining down on them. Eren couldn’t help but that if he really was hurt or dying, he would be dead before helped reached him.

“We’re here, Eren!” Professsor Hange announced excitedly as she turned to look at Eren in the backseat, motioning with her head for him to go on out and settle into the cabin, a place he’ll call home for a year.

The cabin looked like it seriously needed a renovation. It probably couldn’t even survive a light storm or winter season from the looks of it. Eren was starting to feel nervous and skeptic about his life decisions now. Perhaps he should’ve listened to Armin...

“I know it looks bad, but that bad boy can weather through any storm that comes its way!” Hange rounded around the car to pat Eren on the back in reassurance. Moblit, their assistant, followed not too far behind as he gave Eren a terse smile. That was even more assuring now.

“It’s made from a type of wood that has hardening properties. It just looks like that because Moblit and I aren’t very good when it comes to architecture.” Hange continued as she knocked on one of the walls with her knuckles. “It’s also very old.” Moblit added. Eren’s confused look must’ve signal the assistant to exaggerate.

“The material used is recycled from a man who used to live in the Titan Forest hundreds of years ago. As you read in the report we shared with you, the trees in the Titan Forest cannot be cut down so easily, and even if they were, their weight and height would cause a disruption in the entire ecosystem, maybe even the surrounding land and cities.” Moblit explained.

“We calculated the disruption to reach as far as Marley if that was to ever happen!” Hange added excitedly as they began unloading the car that was filled with Eren’s personal belongings. Not wanting to be rude, Eren assisted them.

“Isn’t that like declaring war against them if that was to happen?” Eren joked. Marley generally stayed out of any politics or happenings, but was known to be passive aggressive. They shot down any planes that flew over them or assassinated anyone who posed a threat to their country. They even almost went to war with their neighboring country, Stohess, when an earthquake that originated from Hermina shook their country .

“Precisely. So we’d like you to keep track of any changes related to this as well. Moblit or I will try to come up as often as we can to collect any reports you have and restock supplies as well. If there’s anything you need in particular, there’s an emergency satellite installed in the cabin that’ll let you communicate briefly with the outside world, but it runs on solar power, so try not to use it too often in case you do have an emergency.”

Eren nodded in affirmative. It was reassuring knowing there were means for him to communicate if he needed it. He wouldn’t be completely alone by himself now, even though Eren quite enjoyed his own company.

Moblit held the cabin door open as Hange and Eren carried the boxes into the cabin. It was dark inside even in broad daylight. It seems the sun couldn’t completely penetrate through the trees to illuminate the cabin, even with a window at just about every wall.

“Sorry it’s so dusty! We haven’t had the chance to come up here and clean it up, but I figured we’d do it when you moved in,” Hange laughed nervously as she continued, “so we could save the time and money.”

Eren wasn’t too bother by the mess, and it was understandable. He wouldn’t make a trip up here just to clean some rundown shack either for the same reasons. It was just dusty from the looks of it too, nothing too terrible. After airing out the place and sorting his stuff out, it’d be like home in no time.

 

“Whew! That took longer than I thought!” Hange exclaimed as she settled herself onto the couch that looked like it had seen better days.

Moblit gave Eren a stiff smile in apology for Hange’s behavior. Eren returned a grimace of his own, more from exhaustion than anything sentiment though. He watched as his two company relaxed on the beat-up loveseat before turning away when it looked like it was getting somewhat intimate.

Eren busied himself with another dusting around the cabin to occupy himself. Moblit had already done a good job originally—housewife material as Hange exclaimed to the whole forest—so Eren didn’t bother too much. If anything his sweeping hand motions just kept him busy as he familiarized himself with everything the cabin had to offer.

The cabin was rather cozy like a modest studio in Sheena. It even had a stove, granted it was an old wood stove, but a stove nonetheless. The sink beside it was just for show though. Hange joked that he could put his dishes in there still though, they got a good jab from their assistant for that commentary though. Moblit corrected that it was a future project in the working. He informed Eren that while staying up here water has been their greatest adversary since the cabin didn’t have any sort of plumbing system installed yet. Moblit hoped to get that sorted before Eren moved in, but it has been difficult. Apparently, there was a lake nearby though. The duo offered to show him its location later as well as any other important landmarks drawn on the map they gave him.

“Eren. Come sit.” Hange beckoned, interrupting Eren’s thoughts. “There’s hardly any room for me.” Eren laughed as he made his way over anyways. The only sofa, a loveseat really, sat in the middle of the cabin awkwardly with a wobbly coffee table to keep it company. Eren wanted to move it closer to the fireplace, but Hange insisted it stay in its place. They advised him to keep the space in front of the fireplace open, but didn’t exaggerate on the reason as to why. Besides, if he really didn’t like it, Eren figured he could move it himself on his own time.

“All settled in?” Hange asked after Eren made himself comfortable at the foot of the sofa. Eren nodded in reply as he pulled out the map they gave him earlier. “So. Where’s this lake?”

Moblit leaned forward to take a look at the map in Eren’s hands, pointing to an area southeast of the cabin. From the looks of it, it was a three mile walk, give or take. Eren snorted, nearby his ass. That would take about 45mins, maybe an hour if he got lost or had to rest. “...That’s far.” The younger male commented.

“If you’re just going for water, perhaps. But, there’s lots of berries and vegetation along the way that you can pick, so it’ll be a worthwhile trip every time you go.” Moblit explained as he dug around in his bag for something. Having found it, he pulled out a small notebook, flipping it open as he began to scribble furiously. “I’ll draw a more detailed map so you shouldn’t get lost.”

Hange and Eren strained to see what it was he was drawing and writing. They didn’t have to wait long though, as Moblit was a very efficient worker. However, he didn’t show it to the two afterwards, instead standing abruptly and gesturing towards the door.

“It won’t make sense on paper, so let’s go on out and I’ll show you.”

 

According to Moblit, his cabin was built to face directly north so Eren would know where to go and what to follow if he was lost. Therefore, the lake was like his backyard in a sense, except through a bunch of ginormous trees. The foliage wasn’t as thick as it looked when they started walking through it though, which was surprising since most of the trees grew as if they were made to block out the sun. Looking closer, Eren noticed the branches were thinner and more delicate-looking, almost dainty. In fact, most of the trees around the cabin were like that. However, when they neared the lake it was as if a whole new species inhabited the area, changing the ecology. The trees around were thicker and denser like the usual ones he first saw on their way into the Titan Forest. There was also less shrubs and groundcover. Honestly, it almost looked barren.

“And that’s the quickest way to get here. So long as you keep heading southeast you’ll eventually reach the lake. It stretches for quite a bit too, so if you veer a bit off the path, you should still be able to see it eventually.” Moblit ranted as he glanced between his drawing and the lake. Hange nodded as if taking in this information for the first time, even though they had been here numerous of times already, before adding, “And that took us...” Hange paused to check her watch, “45 minutes. And we’re not tired! So... 130-135 steps per minute at 3.5-4 mph... Which means, about 15 minutes a mile! That’s a rather decent pace!”

Now that Hange put it into perspective, that was a decent time. It’s not like he’d have to come to the lake every day either. Just to bathe and replenish any water sources in case he couldn’t make it until Hange or Moblit’s next visits. However, with how far of a walk that was, three miles, the trek would be deadly in the winter. Not to mention, he probably couldn’t carry much back with him without risking encumbrance.

“Thanks for showing me, Moblit.” Eren thanked, truly grateful that they were helping him settle in completely instead of throwing him into the wild like most survival shows and games he saw on television.

“Of course!” Hange replied in Moblit’s stead as they swung their arms around Eren’s neck like they were already best friends. “Now! My turn!” The scientist exclaimed excitedly as she led her assistant and “subject” back towards the cabin.

“Now that all the housekeeping is done, let’s get to the important stuff!” Hange declared as she magically whipped out a pocket notebook from out of nowhere, flipping to a page with the longest, smushed-together check list Eren had ever seen. “First thing’s first. You’re familiar with the forest ecology, yes?”

“It’s been awhile since I graduated so—

“That’s alright! I’ll get you back on your feet, Eren!” The exuberant brunette interrupted before Eren even had a chance to finish his thoughts.

“I’m sure you’ve already noticed on our way here, the drastically different ecology mere meters away from each other. It’s not just here, but probably other parts of the forest too! I want you to document all you notice and see about this. This could be groundbreaking if such biodiversity exists all in one place! One forest!” Eren nodded to show he was listening, though he doubt Hange needed much encouragement or even signs that he was listening.

“As for the Restoration part...” Hange halted as if contemplating something, forcing Eren to remain beside them since their arm was still draped around them. Eren waited patiently for the scientist to begin talking again, but when he saw their expression become dark and serious, the feelings of dread and anxiety from before came creeping back up from the crevice it hid itself in momentarily. “You’ll have to see it before I can explain anything else...”

 

In order to see what Hange wanted Eren to see, they had to drive a bit back down the road from the cabin before veering off the path and into the forest. They didn’t have to go far from the road before Eren saw what Hange was talking about.

The car stopped at a clearing, a random clearing based on what the rest of the ecological foundation of the environment consisted of. As Eren stepped out of the vehicle to take a closer look, he noticed it looked like something used to be here. More than one too. Eren didn’t want to believe it, but it looked like trees used to be here, until they were uprooted by something, or _someone_. The brunette could see some of the severed roots peeking out from the dirt along with a reduced ground flora, which could’ve probably been because of some sort of grazing or trampling.

“There were signs of forest disturbances here, but what could’ve done something like this is... I don’t know.” Hange spoke as she approached Eren from behind, eyes on the crater left by the uprooted tree too. “There are a few more of these that Moblit and I have stumbled upon, but our guesses are probably as good as yours.” Hange met Eren’s eyes, holding steady his gaze before she continued, “The ecosystem is changing because of this, Eren. We want to know how and possibly why.”

“And that’s where I come in.” Eren finished, still keeping eye contact with Hange as he stood up from his hunched over position.

“Yes. That’s where you come in.” They repeated. “We’ll try to get another person up here so you won’t be lonely, but we haven’t had much luck except for you.” Hange laughed nervously, hoping that the information she let slip there didn’t scare Eren.

“I understand. I’ll await another person while doing what I can, forest succession2 and observations.” Eren quipped, somewhat pumped now. It almost felt like he had a purpose now, that he was now a part of a bigger picture.

Hange brightened at Eren’s fervent response, “Good! And we’ll try our best as well, right Moblit?!”

“Of course!” Moblit chimed in, closing in for a group hug that Hange was beginning.

“Good to have you on the team, Eren Jaeger!” Hange cheered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1.** This was the plant I had to take care of in my horticulture class. There are numerous species, thousands, so I can't quite remember the exact one I took care of. But, the point is that they're relatively easy to care for. They don't need to be watered every day since some of them can actually store water in their leaves. If they don't get sun often, they won't wilt. So they're pretty much durable for the irresponsible and forgetful. You pretty much have to have bad luck or a disease-ridden one to kill it. Though for Eren, he probably was too enthusiastic and watered it every day, probably even cleared his entire windowsill to give it room to sunbathe.  
>  **2.** The forest succession Eren is talking about is a gradual recovery process in which an ecosystem changes and develops over time after a habitat is disturbed or damaged. That means Eren won't be involved directly in the successional change, but will try to control some factors that might change the landscape drastically if just left alone by itself.


	2. Movement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /mo͞ovmənt/  
> a change or development in something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and your interest in this story! If you have any questions, feel free to comment or follow my tumblr if you like spoilers. I usually keep all my thoughts there.
> 
> There are probably numerous grammer mistakes, but I'm a science-kinda person through and through, so... Yeah.

After excavating the disturbed site with Hange and Moblit for a good hour or so, they all decided to call it quits since they weren't able to get anywhere much with it. Before leaving though, the two walked him through some basic restoration applications. In order to help the natural regeneration, clearing the area was the most important factor. Moblit noted that even though most ecosystems and habitats could easily recover from something like this, for some reason this wasn't the case in the Titan Forest. If left alone, the area would continue to remain barren causing many wildlife to migrate from the area. Hange commented that perhaps the lack of cover scared off any form of life since the Titan Forest, known for its dense canopy layer, made itself habitable to many wildlife who depended on enshroudment.

Eren watched as Hange and Moblit worked in unison. With some heavy duty gardening gloves donned, the two dug deeper into the crater to unearth the remaining roots left behind. Once all the roots were collected, Moblit placed them back into the pit of the hole. "Wait. You're burying them?" Eren asked, having donned the gloves himself to help out.

"That seems to be the best result. The roots in this forest are actually seeds. I planted some like this a few months back and when I came back to tend the area, I noticed a little sprout." Hange explained as they helped their assistants cover the hole, "Although, it's still not a solution to the wildlife migrating out of the area, but hopefully when these bad boys grow, they'll return." Hange concluded as they gave the soil a good pat before standing up to inspect the area one last time.

"We've taken a sample back to the lab, but haven't had the chance to look at it properly since we started looking for help in our research." Moblit added, taking off his gloves and tossing them back into the trunk of the car. Hange and Eren followed suit, preparing to return to the cabin.

"But now that we have you," Hange gave Eren a rather violent pat to his back to acknowledge him, "we'll finally be able to take a look at it."

"Well... That's good." Eren replied tersely as he rubbed the part where Hange hit him. That person could pack a punch, without the actual punch too.

By the time they got back to the cabin, the sun was already beginning to set. Hange and Moblit would have to leave soon if they wanted to make it out of the forest safely. Before leaving though, Hange helped Eren carry some tools and utilities inside the cabin. As they walked, the scientist babbled that all of this probably wasn't necessary, but they figured it might come in handy. "Better safe than sorry, right!" Hange exclaimed as they threw the bundle in their arms into a corner by the door, readying to leave afterwards. Eren was more delicate with his in case there was anything fragile.

Not wanting to be rude too, Eren offered to walk them out. "If you need anything, be sure to contact us using that the satellite." Hange spoke, leveling Eren with a tense look, suddenly serious.

"Of course." Eren replied as he held the car door open for the scientist. Hange thanked him before climbing in and making themself comfortable. Eren waved at Moblit in greeting and goodbye. The latter returned the gesture.

"And also," Hange paused to reach into the glove box, pulling out two guns. Eren's eyes almost fell out of their sockets from his bewilderment. Guns were a rarity. The weapons were deemed too dangerous by the government so even though they were common in the past, they weren't anymore now. There were strict laws controlling their use now and even more stricter laws on their obtainment. So, the fact that Hange had one implied that this research of theirs might've been backed by the government. "I want you to have this." Hange announced, placing one in each of Eren's palm.

"One of them is a flare gun. It's effective for wolves. The bright red light tricks them into thinking it's fire, so they'll run off without picking a fight with you." Hange gestured to the bright red weapon. "The other one. You know without me telling you." Hange's expression turned deathly serious as they locked eyes with Eren once more.

"I assume you've never used one, correct?" Eren nodded stiffly in reply.

"It's not that difficult. It's already loaded with a round of magazines, so if you need to use it," Hange took the pistol back from Eren's hand to demonstrate, "pull this slide part towards you and release it." Eren could hear a clicking sound after Hange finished, as if something had locked into place. Hange continued without pausing, "When it makes it that sound, that means it's loaded and ready. When you pull the trigger, the bullet will release forwards where you aimed. However, the recoil will force the casing that held the bullet to eject from out here," Hange pointed to the back top of the pistol, "but the recoil will also automatically reload your gun after you release the trigger." Hange returned the gun to Eren's hand, eyes imploring. 2

"The gun is designed to automatically reload after each shot until the magazine is empty. There's eight in there, Eren. I couldn't get anymore than that, so only use it if you're in danger." Eren nodded in understanding, but couldn't fathom why he would need something so dangerous. He thought this was just suppose to be a simple data collecting field trip. And if he really had to use this thing, he was afraid he might harm himself more using it instead of whatever it is he needed it against.

Sensing his wariness, Hange reached out to grip Eren's forearm, "Eren. Listen to me." Rust clashed with golden emeralds. "I don't want to take any chances. This is just a precaution. To be honest, we don't know what could be out there and the risks would be too great if you were unarmed. It makes me more at ease that you have some way to defend yourself if the situation calls for it. I don't want to scare you, but I don't want you to be left in the dark either." The mood was rather suffocating, Eren gulped. This was starting to become way beyond his league.

When Hange pulled back, it was as if they were a totally different person as all severity left their face, replaced by their usual sunny disposition, "But don't worry! Moblit and I have never had to use ours! We've only used the flare one once, and after that we never saw any wolves in the area again!" Hange laughed goodnaturedly as they rubbed the back of their head.

"Uh..." Eren trailed off. Losing track of the conversation because of the sudden shift.

"So! We'll see you in two week, Eren!" Hange exclaimed in a rush, using Eren's confusion to their advantage to close the Terrain's door and take off in a smoke of gravel and earth.

'What?' Eren pondered, seriously regretting his life decisions now.

 

 "...You think he'll be ok?" Moblit finally asked, eyes concentrated on the road but mind with their newest addition of the team, Eren Jaeger.

"I don't know, Moblit.. I don't know..." Hange mumbled, feeling somewhat guilty about the way they broke the gun to Eren.

To be honest, Hange wasn't going give the guns to Eren, but after spending half a day with the man and getting to know him, they didn't want him out here in the Titan Forest all by himself now, unarmed too. And honestly, everything Hange told him was true. They've never had to use their gun and there were rarely any wolf attacks. Eren would be safe. At least, Hange hoped to Maria that Eren would be alright.

"We need to get another person up there with him as soon as we can. I don't feel good leaving him up there by himself anymore." Hange supplied, suddenly in work mode now as they pulled out their pocket notebook to write down their thoughts.

Moblit sighed. "I told you we should've waited." Their fliers had been out for a couple of months before their first person of interest, Eren, replied through email. To say Hange was ecstatic and unreasonable when that happened would be a severe understatement. Moblit kept telling them to hold off on proceeding with the next phase, but the scientist was persistent in getting the project moving forwards. And when Hange was like that, no persuasion or force could stop them.

"I know. I know. I know." Hange muttered, hating it when Moblit was right. "I was just stressed with the time constraints and the government breathing down our necks."

Moblit could understand, but as an assistant he couldn't share the sentiment completely since it wasn't him the government was harassing, but his superior. When Sheena began to proceed with plans to harvest the forest and tear it down in order to expand, Hange was immediately on the defense against it. As an environmental biologist with breakthroughs all across the globe and a well-respected research doctorate, it was difficult for Sheena to continue with their plans. However, if by next fall Hange's reports and findings failed to convince the Continental Board, the Titan Forest would be deforested, along with any inhabitants.

As of right now, their biggest claim was the seismic impact deforesting the Titan Forest would cause. However, if the Sheena Council could successfully persuade the Marley's to disregard that tidbit, the plans to remove the forest would still proceed, albeit smoothly too since Hange couldn't garner anymore data and information while working at Trost University, along with their other researches that has helped fund all this.

"If we can somehow prove that the Titan Forest's ecosystem is beneficial to the cities around it and the environment, we could stop this..." Hange verbally ranted their thoughts unconsciously.

Used to it, Moblit merely nodded. Indeed. If they could find some sort of evidence like that, the Continental Board would force the Sheena Council to back off, rendering Sheena's plans concerning the Titan Forest illegal. However, since no prior research has ever been conducted on the vast evergreen land this would prove to be a difficult feat, even for the greatest ecologist of all time, Hange Zoe.

 

Gun and gun in hand, Eren retreated back into the cabin. He pocketed the flare gun in his daypack, but kept the pistol on the coffee table, still cautious about bringing it with him. Although Hanji had shown him how to use it, but Eren didn't think it was that easy, especially for an amateur like him. Maybe next time they came back up, he could ask them again, this time with an actual demo and practice involved. Cause, no way in Maria was Eren going to blow his hands off with that thing. Eren quite liked living even though he complained a lot about it.

Glancing at his wrist watch, few minutes past 2 o'clock, Eren decided he could spend the rest of daylight familiarizing himself with the area, then spend the night settling in some more. Gathering his supplies—daypack, water bottle, and notebook—Eren returned back outside. Unfolding the map he tucked in his pockets, Eren studied the geographic area. With marker in hand, Eren drew in his own notes. He added the locations he visited with Hange and Moblit, as well as a simple compass onto his map. Anything else, he would add on the way.

Pen capped and map in hand, Eren eagerly made his way into the forest, headed east since he already started in that direction. He'd figure it'd be better to focus marking one area and then the next. Try to stay somewhat organized so he would be less likely to lose his way.

As he continued east, Eren made sure to tie some cloth on notable landmarks to track his path—recalling a wildlife survival episode where a guy got himself lost cause he didn't go in one direction or keep track his trek. Well, Eren wasn't about to take any risks so he did both.

With the light and tree canopies on his side at this time, Eren made sure to gather as much information as he could while moving forwards. Even though it was just his first day, Eren believed in carpe diem. The brunette took notes on the bark of the local trees, going as far as making an amateur sketch of what he observed. Not a botanist though, his drawings would probably mean very little since he couldn't decipher a lot of the plant life clinging to the trees. Eren would have to also study his notes back in cabin where he kept his books, along with Hange's own resources they deemed would be of help to him.

Wanting a sample, Eren tried to pull a loose bark from a tree. However, before he could secure himself a firm hold to pull he was met with a deterrent. Put off by the texture and wetness, Eren pulled his hand back quickly to examine the substance on his fingers. The tips of his fingers were coated in a golden substance akin to tree sap3, but not quite from the smell of it. No tree sap Eren knew was this potent and viscous, as he attempted to clean himself of this mess. Eren decided against ripping bark from trees for awhile.

After using dead leaves to wipe the substance off as best he could, Eren continued further research in the vicinity. He gathered some leaves on the forest floor to look over later, tucking them in between the folds of his notes, careful to not pick any crisp ones in case they ruined themselves to pieces. Using his bare hands too, he dug around the soil for a feel on the composition. Based on the reports he received from Hange, the Titan Forest received steady rainfall over the years. Seasons didn't seem to affect the weather patterns. It didn't rain anymore in April than it did in November, oddly enough. Even more odd, the soil was dryer than Eren expected. It just rained a few days ago but the soil was dry already as if it couldn't retain any moisture.

Thinking back to earlier, Eren made his over to a tree to feel the soil. It was damp and rich like it was suppose to be. Just to make sure he was correct, Eren felt around in a few more random spots, comparing the ground away from the trees as well as the area near the trees. Indeed, the soil was only loamy near the trees, but lacking anywhere else. No wonder it was so easy to dig up the crater, but impossible when Eren tried to do so in-between trees.

Since the forest was mostly layered in groundcover, it might've been difficult to notice or feel, but this was important to note. If the soil was so dry, how could the flora survive? Eren would have to check the area around his cabin that had a richer groundcover than here to verify his findings. If it was true, this would be worth mentioning to Hange and Moblit. Eren doesn't recall any notes about the soil's concentration.

Based on Hange and Moblit's notes, it didn't seem like they had the leisure to do much while they were up here. Most of their reports detailed crater sightings, weather reports, and cartography. There were a few notes about the properties of the trees though, in an attempt to categorize their species. So from the looks of it, and what he can remember, Eren has a lot to do.

 

On his way back to the cabin, Eren decided to not remove the cloth he used earlier as he planned his trek in to the forest. It would be quite useless to remove them when he was most likely going to return to the same path and area to do more research. Plus, he was a bit too tired to untie a piece of cloth. Not to mention, he got sidetracked with gathering data that he lost track of time so it was much later than he planned to return. He even had to use his flashlight since the angle the sun was at didn't allow light to penetrate into the part of the forest he was at.

When he reached a clearing that left the forest behind him, Eren let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Looking up at the sky, Eren was amazed by the beauty of the natural outdoors. The sky was painted in a soft red glow with streaked oranges and blues that were covered by the clouds. It was such a refreshing sight to what he saw in Sheena, if he even got out of work on time to see a sunset. Most days he was kept at work to pick up his coworkers and superiors slack, and if he wasn't he was too tired rushing home to take the time to look at the sky. Even if he did though, it was probably obscured by sky-scraping buildings and pollution, Eren snorted as an afterthought.

Making his way inside, Eren made sure to lock his door with a clear resounding click, just to put his thoughts at ease. Just cause he wasn't going to be awake in a bit, didn't mean whatever might be outside wasn't. So for good measures, Eren dragged the log holder over to barricade the door. That would do for now.

At ease now, Eren made himself comfortable on the burgundy seater, setting his bag down by the sofa. He spent more time taking notes than actually mapping the area. He'd have to focus on the latter tomorrow so he could get familiar with the forest quicker. Eren sighed, worn out. There was a lot to do, but he would have more than enough time. Just the thought of it all was stressing him out. Eren was beginning to become like his best friend who always fretted over tiny details, but meticulous nonetheless.

Now that he was laying down, sleep was coming to the brunette quicker than he anticipated. Eren mentally cursed himself. He was suppose to finish settling in, and maybe take a good look around and at some things in the cabin. However, he was getting much too comfortable and sleepy.

Perhaps just a small nap then, Eren compromised as he drifted off.

 

Eren hasn't slept as deeply and soundly since his first night.

It's been a little over a week now and he thought he was all settled in by now, but somehow ever since the first night, he couldn't fall asleep so easily. The brunette usually had to laid in bed for a good two hours or so before sleep claimed him. Back in Sheena, it obviously didn't take much to knock out since he was overworked most of the time, but even then as soon as his head hit the bed he was out cold.

Because of that, Eren found it difficult to stay focused some days. Nothing too concerning that he couldn't function, but it was still significant enough for him to take notice of. Just trivial things like nodding off while he waited for dinner to cook, or forgetting some things at the cabin or Terrain. Simple things that could be attributed to simply being human, but too often for Eren to not consider something else as a factor. Eren wasn't usually this forgetful or careless.

"Shit. Am I growing that old already?" Eren pondered, the word 'senile' reverberating in his head.

Mid-twenties wasn't too old, was it? Maybe all those all-nighters in college were catching up to him now. Though, Eren recalls from his old psychology class about how the sudden change in an environment can disrupt ones patterns, so maybe that might be it too. But then again, when he moved from Shiganshina to Sheena, that didn't seem to be the case...

SNAP!

Eren whirled around to appraise the source of the noise that interrupted his thoughts. It was still early in the day, so Eren could see a decent amount around him. So whatever it was behind that tree, wouldn't escape his eyes. Eren waited patiently, pocket knife in hand.

When nothing happened though, Eren braved himself to be the approacher instead, avoiding any leaves as much as he could to keep cover. Upon reaching the tree, the brunette counted to five before swinging around the tree with his knife readily raised in case it was needed. Behind the tree, a hunched over figure loomed over the base of tree. In his shock, Eren's shaking hands dropped the knife as he fell onto the ground when his legs gave away.

The dark shadow didn't even acknowledge Eren as they continued to go about their business, fascinated in whatever it was their curved form was hiding from him. Having calmed somewhat, Eren could hear faint inhuman muttering after his heartbeat quieted. Not wanting to stick around for long enough to listen to what was going on, Eren stood slowly as to not alarm his company. Eren only made it barely to full height before the figure whipped around so fast Eren could've sworn it was like lightning struck.

When the light shined on the thing's face, Eren regretted looking as the gleam where its eyes should be blinded him, allowing himself to be tackled. Now at their mercy, Eren could only await death now.

"Eren! There you are!" A familiar voice greeted him from above.

The said male opened his eyes. Atop him, and clinging to him like a dog, was Hange. The scientist looked completely bedraggled with their hair askew, clothes the same as when Eren first met them, and smell wafting from them repulsive. Eren impulsively pushed the other off him as he stood up abruptly, attempting to hide any evidence of being a main character in a horror movie.

"Hange! What are you doing here?!" Eren replied as he dusted any dirt and leaves off his figure. Still somewhat shooken from his sleep-addled imagination.

It wasn't yet two weeks, the promised day Hange and Moblit agreed they would be back up to restock any supplies and gather Eren's notes to take back to the lab.

"You weren't at the cabin, so I came looking for you!" Hange countered, taking the shove Eren gave him in stride. "Oh, and don't mind the appearance! I've been in the lab ever since I got back, and after getting your notes and making progress with the root," Hange's eyes gleamed dangerously behind their spectacles, "I had to make the trip up here to inform you personally!"

"Of what?" Eren inquired.

"Let's head back to the cabin." Hange nodded east, towards their location of interest.

Eren followed them, albeit a ways behind because of the smell still clinging to the scientist.

"The notes you've been sending to Moblit have been very helpful. We still haven't been able to piece anything good together yet, but I'm sure we'll find something." Hange began babbling to fill in the silence. "Especially all the stuff about the dendrology4. Although after reviewing them, we couldn't get anywhere unless we had some samples. If we could get some samples, it would help us better understand the ecology after knowing what species we're dealing with."

"I have some." Eren offered. "Not all of the ones in the notes, but some, since I have difficulty extracting anything from the trees. Most of what I could find were scavenged from the forest floor."

"Perfect!" Hange beamed, as they tilted their head back to appraise the young man. "If you find anymore, let us know, ok?" Eren merely nodded in agreement.

"So, how have you been, Eren?" Hange inquired.

Eren shrugged, but remembering that Hange couldn't see him he promptly replied with an answer, "Alright. I'm getting by without any troubles." Hange hummed at the answer, as if not believing it. Eren relaxed, comforted that Hange seriously wanted to know how he was doing.

If Eren was honest, he wasn't doing too well lately. Maybe it's because of all the horror shows he's watched, but the brunette's been on edge lately. The smallest of sounds send him into overdrive, anything remotely creepy-looking activates his fear sensors, and recently he's been coming home earlier to avoid the darkness. Eren never considered himself a person easily scared, but somehow as of lately he's become that exact kind of person.

"Hmmm... Have you been getting enough sleep lately?" Hange wondered.

"...Not really. It was fine the first night, and then all of a sudden not."

"Well, I'm not a doctor," Hange paused to correct that statement, "medically, but I'd say you're mildly sleep deprived." They explained that the feelings of paranoia Eren's been experiencing could be due to minor mental impairments. If he wasn't getting enough sleep, his mind could be straying into dangerous territory bordering on hallucinations.

From what Hange was saying, it sounded pretty similar to his situation. However, Eren didn't want to openly admit that the scientist might be right either, since earlier he had deluded himself into thinking Hange as a crazed forest monster. And Eren definitely didn't want to explain that to them.

"I've never had any problems before falling asleep though." Eren shared thoughtfully as he contemplated what could've disrupted his sleep.

"I don't think it's just you though, Eren." Hange added wistfully.

"Huh?"

"Moblit and I have spent a few nights here, in that exact same cabin, sometimes in the Terrain too, and we find it difficult to sleep comfortably." Hange admitted before elaborating further. "We're only up here for a few days so it's not enough of a toll on our body, but since you're living up here it could have long-term repercussions." Eren caught Hange's eyes as they gave him a brief look over their shoulders.

Hange sighed as they stopped to address Eren properly in apology, "I'm sorry, Eren. I didn't think about this. It must've slipped my mind along with everything else."

"No, it's no problem." Eren replied quickly in understanding. "I'm sure it's something I'll just have to get used to in time."

"If it becomes unbearable, I can get you a prescription of sleeping pills or some sort of incense. Moblit uses those." Hange professed as they continued walking. Cabin within view now.

"I'll let you know if I need them."

Hange merely nodded in understanding as they held the cabin door open for Eren to enter first.

"I don't have much, but I can make some tea if you'd like." Eren unshouldered his pack, placing it by the door as he made his way towards the stove.

"That would be nice!" Hange exclaimed as they proceeded to make themselves at home, avoiding the couch since they were aware that they probably stank. Eren probably wouldn't like his only comfortable place to sit to smell of chemicals and rot, opting for the place in front of the fireplace.

"Sorry about the mess. I just keep my notes out since it's easier that way." Eren apologized, pots and pan clanking as the brunette rummaged around for a suitable pan of sorts for boiling water.

Hange simply made a noise of understanding as they looked over the notes the brunette laid out. Eren made good progress in just a week. Since they were busy most of the time dealing with the Continental Board and other research obligations for Trost University, Hange couldn't speak with Eren often. It was always Moblit who got back to their newest recruit. However, they were at least able to take a look at the notes Eren sent to Moblit.

The notes were just like the reports Eren sent, albeit less legible with his messy scrawl. Upon closer look though, there were some information that weren't mentioned in the reports. Most of it were just drawings though that couldn't be replicated easily on the laptop, and they weren't the best either, but Hange would have to give Eren credit for trying. Clearly not an artist, but it was still rather cute that he tried nonetheless.

"Your sketches are adorable, Eren!" Hange couldn't help but share their thoughts, drawing of a leaf's anatomy in hand.

Eren's choked laugh could be faintly heard over the crackling of the wood stove. "Um... Thanks.. I guess.. In college they never teach you how to draw those sort of things and expect you to just be able to do it based on observation."

Hange hummed in agreement. A professor in many courses, Hange could understand what Eren meant. However, it's not like their classes are art subject so of course they wouldn't teach students how to draw things that can be easily observed. Granted it might look like shit, but would still be accurate anyways. Those fanciful drawings most students saw all the time were only done by experts who had many years and experience over them.

"They're not bad. Do you mind if I take some back?" Hange inquired, already tucking a few of them into their folder whipped out of nowhere like usual.

"Sure." Eren answered, certain that his answer probably didn't mean anything. Hange would do it regardless, something he's slowly come to learn about the scientist.

Having sorted through most of the papers, Hange tried to rearrange them back the way they found them. The scientist hated it when others rummaged through their notes, so they didn't want to upset Eren in the same way in case he was like them. When it looked like they were making more of mess, they decided to stop, but not before brushing against something cold underneath a stack of notes on the coffee table. Pulling it out underneath the disarray, Hange knew what it was immediately by feel before they even saw it.

"You don't carry it with you?"

Eren looked up from his position in front of the wood stove to see what Hange was talking about. Closing in on Eren, Hange held out the pistol that had been buried underneath his notes.

"Oh... No.. I just don't feel comfortable using it is why.." Eren trailed off, eyes anywhere but Hange and the gun as he stood up to remove the blaring kettle from the stove. Eren kept his back their guest as he busied himself with pouring the tea.

Sensing how uncomfortable Eren was about this subject, Hange maneuvered themself around the young male to hold eye contact with him. Leaning on the side of the wood stove, Hange hesitantly addressed the subject, "I know that could've panned out (puns for days) better, but I did it for your safety."

Eren handed Hange their cup of tea as he held his for warmth, "I know.. It's just, I'm a civilian, you know, so I've never.. No, it's more like I'm not comfortable with something like that." Eren shrugged uselessly afterwards, as if that would convey anything.

Hange was quiet after his response, contemplating as they sipped their tea. Once again, they forgot to factor that in. Sighing, more at themself than Eren, Hange set their tea down on the small surface of the stove. "Shall I give you an actual demonstration then?"

The brunette perked up at the offer, eyes meeting Hange's serious ones. They held each other's gaze briefly without saying anything. Mostly because Eren couldn't voice a proper response without looking too enthusiastic about learning how to harm someone, and Hange had nothing left to say really. However, Eren's eyes said it all to Hange anyways, and the scientist closed their eyes in content as they reached for their tea. "I'll show you after our tea, yes?"

"Yes!" Eren replied, thanking them shortly afterwards as an afterthought.

"Great! Now on to business." Hange cheered as they made their way back to the fire place, sitting on the stone ledge to make themself more comfortable. Eren followed, sitting in front of them, still a bit a ways though.

"You mentioned the root?" Eren reminded them.

"Yes." Hange nodded. "We were able to run a few tests on it, and the results weren't promising." Their expression turning rather grim as they continued, "The root appears to be alive, even though it has been severed from its main organism. However, it doesn't exhibit all the characteristics5 a living thing should, so it can't really be classified as its own living entity either. Based on a microscopic level, it has structure unlike anything I've ever seen. I haven't been able to take a closer look since its the only specimen I have, but when we find some more," Hange looks imploringly at Eren, "I can get down to the nitty-gritty."

"But based on what I've seen," Hange takes a deep breath, as if bracing herself still for such an unbelievable founding, "It could mean a revolution in the field of biology. If my theory is correct, the trees in the Titan Forest could be a whole new kingdom, even domain6!"

Eren didn't quite follow, but he clearly understood what he needed to do. "I'll contact you if I find anymore."

Hange grinned, more than satisfied with his answer. "If we can't make the trip up here to collect them, just keep them in a specimen jar. I should've left some somewhere with the supplies we carried in." Hange reminded the male. Eren nodded in discernment, remembering seeing something like that when he went through them the other day.

"I'll send you a more detailed account of it all that you can look over, or else I'll be talking all day into the night!" The eccentric scientist laughed nervously at a bad habit of theirs most people complained about. "—Since we have another matter to attend to." Rising from their place on the fireplace, tea empty and forgotten, Hange made their way towards the door with the gun in hand. They only paused briefly a the door frame to wait for Eren to drain his drink before rushing after them.

 

They used the open space right behind the cabin as a makeshift shooting range, opting to just use the nearby trees as a target.

"The best way to feel comfortable using something like this is through experience, so showing won't help you." Hange explained before placing the gun in Eren's hands, "I'll adjust your form and give you any tips while you do your thing."

"My.. thing?" Eren questioned, already confused. What did Hange want him to do by saying that? Aim? Or just shoot? But shoot what and where?

Hange walked towards a tree about 15 yards from Eren. "Here." They patted the target of interest, "I'm going to draw a cross wire where I want you to focus, aim, and fire at. Try and get as close as you can to it, ok?!" Hange yelled in order to be heard from the distance they were standing, which wasn't all that far to be honest. Eren would've heard them perfectly even in their usual tone, since that was how loud they were usually.

After drawing a rather large cross wire, the scientist returned to Eren's side to evaluate his posture. However, the brunette made no move. "I'm not sure what to do, Hange.." Eren admitted, even unsure of how to hold the gun properly.

"Hmmm... Ok. Watch me." Hange offered as they took their own pistol out of their coat. Widening their stance, with both arms lifted perpendicular, Hange took aim. Having served in the military, they were already more skilled than the average person, so it didn't take long for them to lock eyes with their target and then open fire once.

From the barrel of the gun, the bullet was released traveling at about 325 yd/s. Unfazed, Hange held steady as they felt the recoil and ejection of the casing. Eren, on the other hand, wasn't so calm, taken aback by how much louder the sound of a gun going off was as well as how fast the bullet traveled.

"Ok! Now your turn!" Hange exclaimed excitedly as they pocketed their gun with a flourish.

Unlike his best friend, Eren's vision has always been perfect. Even from unhealthy video gaming to late night cramming sessions, his eye sight never suffered. So Eren could see clearly that Hange's shot was perfect—the bullet embedded right where the cross point was.

Eren copied Hange's stance as he uncertainly attempted to aim, but found it difficult to do so since he didn't know what to use as a scope. After Eren fell into position, Hange was immediately by their side. "You're too stiff, Eren." The scientist lamented, as they gave Eren a rather forceful pat to his back. "If you're that stiff, you'll end up going with the recoil and your aim will be off. You want to be relaxed so the recoil won't ruin your form. When you fire the gun, you'll feel the force first before the bullet leaves the barrel, so if you move during that split second you can miss your target completely."

"It happens so fast though, how can I do anything about it?" Eren muttered more to himself than his company. Hange heard it anyways with their keen ears. "Exactly. So fix it before and not during. If your form is perfect initially, you're more likely to hit your target. It takes practice to roll with the recoil and not be controlled by it, so I'm not expecting you to hit the target your first try." Hange assured the fidgeting male.

"Ok. Then where do I look to aim?"

"It's easier to explain it to you if you were using something longer like a rifle, but with a handgun it all comes down to experience, so I can't help you there. Sorry." Hange apologized, unable to explain how they would aim using a pistol, but parting a piece of knowledge that has always stayed with them from their military training, "But just keep your hand steady and eyes on the target. Your body is always attuned to what you look at, so as long as you don't lose sight of what it is you're aiming at you shouldn't miss terribly."

'Ok.' Eren kept telling himself as he followed every one of Hange's tips. He kept his stance wide, arms steady, body relaxed, and eyes on the cross wire. He maintained this exact form for as long as he could as he braced himself to pull the trigger. Hange merely nodded to themself in satisfaction at their pupil's form and ease.

Eren may be lacking in many things like his friends have told him numerous of times, but when it comes down to it he unfortunately has the tenacity of an ugly badger7.

BANG!

Eren heard the ringing in his ears from the shot before he realized he had pulled the trigger. Unaccustomed to handling of a gun, Eren's entire body was shaking, ears ringing, heart racing wildly in his ear, sweat gathering at every crevice, and shock above all else controlled his entire being. The male didn't know if the shock was from the entire experience itself or the fact that he splintered the part of the tree where Hange drew the cross wire, cause Eren had perfectly landed a blow right on top of Hange's. The velocity and already-lodged-bullet must've repelled the force backwards, splintering the area around the cross.

Hange gave a low whistle, surprised as well at Eren's first shot. "You're a natural, Eren!"

"Uh.. Thanks." Eren replied after recovering, the ringing still in his ears though.

"I'd tell you to practice more, but we don't have an infinite supply of ammo, so let's call it there." Hange announced as they examined the splint. "And at least you know first hand now!"

"Yes. Thank you." Eren remarked, grateful that they took the time to teach them.

"I hope you'll start carrying it with you now." Hange voiced, walking back to Eren. "It's a self-defense weapon. Although still deadly, it's solely limited to that function, that's why I gave that to you. So don't go looking for blood with that thing, ok?" Eren made a noise of understanding as he followed Hange back to the front of the cabin where their Terrain awaited them.

"We're not here to disrupt the ecosystem, just to study and observe. To understand." Hange whirled around to give their pupil a severe look, letting them know the severity of having a weapon such as a gun in a forest, but in reality the knowledge of using a gun in general. The former soldier swore never to use what they learned during their service for evil, and although Hange doubted Eren would ever consider doing such a thing—power had a fickle mind of its own, especially over intelligent beings.

"I understand, Hange." Eren answered in all seriousness, returning their look with a powerful gaze of his own. Hange smiled softly to themself briefly, encouraged by Eren's affirmation and eyes.

"I'll be leaving now, then!" Hange exclaimed, brimming with so much energy now that they could work for another week straight.

"Please don't." Eren interjected.

They must've voiced their thoughts again. How careless.

"Yes! Yes!" The scientist repeated as they got into the Terrain, starting it up with a whirl.

Eren waved farewell to them, watching as their car disappeared into the distance, the trees swallowing it up.

 

With another task added to the list, Eren planned his routes further into the forest in hopes of stumbling onto any craters. He even ventured into some parts that took half a day's walk. Although he'd end up spending those nights in the Terrain because of that, so Eren avoided doing that as much possible. Even though he was slowly getting used to the forest—in general and sleep-wise—Eren still wasn't too fond of venturing too far. Maybe when there was a second person to keep him company he'll reconsider it, as for now he played it safe.

A week has passed since Hange's visit, and just like that Moblit was back up to top anything off that Eren needed before heading back to Sheena. The older male informed Eren that things were getting busy around this time of the year with university obligations and something about the government harassing Hange and him, but Eren couldn't catch it all with him in a rush. However, before he could leave Eren had to tell Moblit the bad news: he wasn't able to get another root specimen that Hange asked of.

The assistant looked trouble, but he assured Eren that it wouldn't be a problem. Although Hange was anticipating it, he would find a way to break the bad news to them delicately. "Just keep doing what you're doing, Jaeger. You're doing a good job." Moblit smiled timidly at Eren in parting and in an attempt to reassure him.

Having learned within these two weeks that Moblit is dependable, the brunette returned the smile hesitantly and tried not to look too down as he waved the assistant farewell.

That was a couple of days ago. Now, Eren was more diligent than ever on locating any craters, forgoing his plans to not spend nights in the Terrain. He couldn't just dig up the ones he planted previously, since they may have already sprouted and Eren didn't want to disrupt that cycle. However, at this rate Eren was tempted to do just that.

Until he wasn't.

By the third day since Moblit's visit, Eren located a single crater a day and a half's drive northeast of the cabin.

Tired, but relieved nonetheless, Eren went straight to work. The brunette made a quick, shabby sketch of the scene as well as any notes of important. The drawing depicted that the crater was larger than any of the ones Eren previously discovered. Although it was just one, big crater there were slight differences with the others. The soil texture and wreckage were still the same, but the hole was much deeper. Eren was too short on time to find out how deep it was since his hands couldn't feel the bottom over the edge, and his tools were left back with the Terrain to allow him to cover more ground faster.

Perhaps the original tree was larger than the usual ones that many of the contrasting details were off, Eren reasoned. Even the root Eren managed to salvage was somewhat different from what he remembered.

VRRR VRRR VRRR! VRRR VRRR VRR!

Interrupted by the vibrations on his wristwatch, Eren made haste. That was an alarm he set to signal his return to the car, else he risked trekking in the dark. Finishing any thoughts and observations, the brunette quickly shoved his belongings into his daypack to begin the journey home. He'll be sleeping in the Terrain tonight, but that was something he was already prepared for. He made this trip with expectations that he wouldn't make it back to the cabin.

Following the neon yellow markers he left tied on shrubs and trees earlier, Eren easily maneuvered his way towards the car. The brunette found it convenient to just leave the cloths he tied. It helped him navigate the area and notified him if he had already explored that area. After all, in a dense forest like this—when everything starts to look the same—some sort of guidance was necessary.

Eren recognized the familiar white vehicle right before the last rays of light disappeared past the trees a ways from where he parked the Terrain. Sprinting the last bit of distance, Eren unlocked the car and opened one of the back doors. As soon as he was safely inside, the brunette locked the doors with a resounding click. The windows were already down a bit to let air flow in—Eren made it a habit to keep the windows like that since it got stuffy in the Terrain if he didn't—so it would get a bit chilly tonight.

Thankfully Eren packed a few blankets along with his sleeping bag, which he searched for in the back trunk. Unable to make much progress finding them, the brunette had to take his shoes off to make himself comfortable while unreluctantly using his flashlight as a light source. Eren forgot ask Moblit for some extra batteries, so the ones in the flashlight were his last ones. He'd have to make them last another two weeks, somehow.

More successful this time around, Eren clicked the flashlight off and made himself comfortable. And not wanting to suffer from backache the next day, Eren used one of the blankets as a sort of cushion from the hard leather seats. He might feel the chill more, but at least he wouldn't be burdened by the pain that came with sleeping on poor surfaces.

Comfortable and safe now, it was time to play the waiting game.

 

The sun just had to hit him square in the face out of all the places the light could filter through. Eren groaned, not ready to start the day as he tossed and turned away from the piercing light. Surrendering to the fact that he wasn't going to return to sleep or find a corner where the sun wasn't greeting him, Eren got up grudgingly. From the rear view mirror, Eren noticed his hair was wildly mussed like every morning. He tried to comb it down with his hands, but gave up after a stubborn part kept bouncing back up. It wasn't like anyone was around for it to matter.

Unlocking the doors, Eren swung his side of the door open to jump out and stretch. Moaning in satisfaction at the stretches and fresh, crisp morning air, Eren was awake in no time. Zipping up his jacket, the brunette took a small walk to familiarize himself with the area after a night's rest. After a fifteen minute stroll, memory jogged (bad puns), Eren now recalled where he came from and which direction to return to the cabin now.

Returning to the car in no time, Eren started the Terrain up with rev. And so, with no delays, Eren was on the road back home.

Driving in the forest was always an unpleasant trip, Eren mused. With all the bumps and turns, Eren's bottom was lucky it was well-cushioned or else he'd have bruises from bouncing in his seat all day. Don't get him started on the music either. Even with the latest shocks, struts, coil springs, the Terrain still couldn't handle the Titan Forest's rough terrain well enough to allow music to play smoothly. Tired of hearing his music stutter, Eren never bothered to turn on the CD player ever again if he was on the forest floor. The brunette just opted to listen to the Terrain's pitiful suffering.

Although Eren had a lot on his mind as of late, so that was far from his mind right now.

The brunette's thoughts were on his newest find, the single-huge crater. All of the craters Eren found previously were small and shallow with clusters of 2-4 of them. The craters were no bigger than Eren, but this recent one was almost three times the usual craters, maybe even more. Eren didn't get a good look with the setting sun, but with what he felt it was an accurate surmission.

Maybe when he got home, he could properly compare the notes. No use thinking about it if he wasn't certain, Eren concluded, ceasing all thoughts concerning that matter.

Though, could he stop himself wondering about it with a day and half's drive ahead of him?

 

Finally home, after a short stop at a stream to refill his water and take a bath, Eren sluggishly unloaded his gear from the Terrain. Two nights in a car was more tiring that he thought. The backseat just wasn't the same as a bed, comfortable and roomy, and because of that Eren's joints were still feeling the ache of being restrained. So anything to do with walking and lifting right now was strenuous. Joy.

After the third unload, Eren was just tempted to leave everything in the car until he was feeling better, however he forged ahead anyways since he wasn't going to want to do it later either.

With his daypack and sleeping bag last, Eren sighed in content as he made his last trip from the car and into the cabin. Tossing the items in his arms onto the sofa, Eren continued on-wards to his bed in the corner, as if beckoned by it. Slumping over and onto his bed, Eren wished to sleep until the next day even though he already got his sleep. Eight hours too, a massive improvement from his former three hours.

It didn't help that he didn't eat much the journey home. Trying to conserve supplies, Eren only lived off of dry rations those some three days. Used to eating meat and fruit on the ready in Sheena, his body was having withdrawals. He's never ventured out this far before either, so the skipped ham days really took a toll on his body scarily enough. But, it was difficult to bring perishables with him on long trips like this. There was no way for him to keep the food fresh and cool without it spoiling.

Even in the cabin he had to be meticulous about storing his perishables. During the day, they could be kept in the mini-fridge that was solar-powered, but when night fell they had to be kept in a cupboard underneath one of the floorboards. It was cold enough done there during the night, but when daylight returned it needed to be refrigerated or else it risked mold growth.

So during his excavation, Eren had no choice but to keep it in the fridge and hope nothing went bad. The brunette felt uncomfortable leaving it in the underground cupboard in case any rodents or crawlers feasted on it. The cupboard didn't seem like it was built all that well, and remembering what Hange said about Moblit and them not being architects all the more deterred Eren from keeping food down there for long periods of time.

Thinking about food made Eren hungry, so the male reluctantly climbed out of bed. Checking on his ham, a good sniff and thorough inspection, he deemed it passable. Just to be sure though, he'll cook the meat instead of slapping it on some crackers.

Stove lit and flame licking the hood of the chamber, Eren closed the chamber door to let the stove top heat up quicker. It was still day and warm, so Eren didn't need the chamber opened.

While he waited for that to warm up, Eren considered looking over his notes. Without food in his stomach, he decided against it. It would only get him nowhere. Besides, Eren figured sending an email to Moblit about his recent specimen would be more important anyways.

Turning on the laptop linked up with the rest of the solar panel system and communication satellite, Eren settled himself as comfortable as he could on the poorly constructed desk. Everything about it was wobbly, so Eren always had to take caution with how he sat and leaned forward. If he put to much force in his typing, the table might cave, but there was no comfortable position to sit that would let him do that without the chair tipping him all over the place.

When Eren had to wrestle with this for the first time, he was convinced that Hange built this. This furniture set just screamed eccentricity like their personality.

Booted up and loaded in, Eren made haste. The longer he took, the more power he drained using the satellite. Email pulled up, he made his message brief like all his other ones:

Moblit,  
I have a few of the root specimens Hange asked for. I will keep them in the specimen jar on top of the fireplace. I'll send a more detailed report in two days.  
Eren

Sent successfully, Eren hovered over the sign out button in the corner. However, a recent email stopped him. Particularly one from a Mikasa Ackerman who's subject lines were all-around eye catching and CAPITALIZED to no doubt voice her anger:

EREN BADGER7!!!  
I HAD TO HEAR FROM ARMIN INSTEAD ABOUT YOUR ABSURDITY! I'M ON MY WAY BACK TO SHEENA AND I'LL BE DRAGGIN YOU ASS BACK HOME! I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE WHY YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!!  
...

Eren rolled his eyes, he didn't bother reading the rest of the email, already aware what it had to say, so he signed himself out of his email, closed the browser, and turned off the laptop.

Mikasa, ever the protective sister, always had to stick her nose into his business. After their mother's death, she took her promise too seriously about looking after him. Everywhere he went, everything he did—his sister was there with watchful eyes like a hawk. When he decided to move to Sheena, she followed him. When he applied to Trost University, she followed him. When he rented his first apartment, she moved right in, offering to pay half rent. Even when he was in a relationship, his partners complained about them being in a relationship with his sister too. She drove him up a wall constantly with her _looming_.

So every time Mikasa left the country, Eren was elated. Granted Armin kept her updated, but he wasn't as persistent and even if he was, Eren could persuade him easily. And although the blonde always told them they were both his best friends, Eren believed he was more of it than his sister was. So, if there was anyone Mikasa couldn't win over, it would be Armin. However, it looks like this won't be the case.

If Mikasa was now just contacting him, Armin must've seen through his lie and kept a front with his sister until he caved. Eren was almost moved to tears by his best friend's actions. Almost a month of avoidance and drilling from Mikasa; Armin did great.

However, he probably spilled everything to her then, including Hange's contact information. Eren wouldn't doubt Mikasa driving up here herself to fetch him. But he was also certain that Hange wouldn't go down so easily. Procrastinating a bit, Eren decided he'd let Hange deal with his sister first before he did anything.

Anything to avoid that harpy on a rampage.

Getting up slowly from the desk, as to not jostle anything, Eren returned to the stove. Testing the heat with his hands above the stove top, Eren deemed it hot enough to cook. Moving with practiced ease, he filled the kettle up with the water he gathered earlier this morning. Then, using a frying pan he quickly diced some ham up into the pan.

Ah, the sizzle and smell of meat was satisfying to say the least.

When it looked and smelled good enough, Eren set it aside, covered. He'd have to wait for the water to purify before he could cook some rice or quinoa to go with the ham. The wait would be awhile for that though, so Eren snacked on some of the cooked ham cubes and crackers.

Sated for now, the brunette searched for the specimen jar among the supplies by the door. He hadn't bother to move it when he settled in, but he did sort through them to know what he had available. There were ridiculous things like a back scratcher, fireworks, super glue, bouncy ball, and the duster they used when Eren first moved in. The only useful things, which Eren separated into their own pile, were a mountaineering rope, oil lantern, matches, and glass jars. Along with a bunch of cloth that Eren has been making use out of as land markers.

Glass jar in hand, Eren rummaged around in his pack, unearthing the roots he collected. Stored in a burlap bag, Eren simply dropped the whole thing into the jar.

'Better to keep them together in case the glass broke', Eren considered thoughtfully. And just as he promised Moblit, the jar would be right on top of the fireplace.

Just in time too, as the kettle's shrill scream called Eren over.

Lunch would be served soon.

 

After a fulfilling meal, as promised, Eren delve straight into his notes, condensing the most important points onto a new set of notes. He also pulled out every resource book in the cabin in order to work more efficiently. Because of that, Eren worked well into the night and before he knew it, the crickets were out and owls wide awake.

Unfortunately though, the re-organization of his notes weren't getting him anywhere. With a frustrated sigh, Eren tossed his notebook on to the messy coffee table, scattering some papers, but Eren didn't care at this point.

Just like Hange mentioned, his notes were helpful in getting to know the ecology, but it didn't piece anything major together. There were answers to the what, but not that how and why. To be blunt, his notes were pretty much elementary-level. As much as that hurt his pride a little, Eren couldn't figure out a solution. He lacked the equipment to really help him further the research, and even then he wouldn't know where to start. He only paid attention in class enough to pass, and even then it was a mere bachelor's degree.

He's been observing and taking notes like Hange told him too, but those notes he took were all senseless babble with no connection to anything.

CHIRR CHIRR! CHIRR CHIRR!

Eren's eyes widened. How could he have missed this?

He's been so focused on what he can see with his eyes, that he hasn't been paying attention to his surroundings.

Crickets aren't suppose to be out during this time of the year. Fall seasons were far too cold in this region, so they all retreat into the earth. And even if there were any left above ground, they certainly wouldn't be chirping8; mating season is in the spring.

Again with his epiphanies, Eren grabbed at his notes and a new sheet of paper. He sketched a brief outline of the Titan Forest and began drawing in any craters recorded. After finishing, he held it a bit a ways from him to look at its entirety.

"Holy Maria." Eren uttered in amazement.

The map Eren drew zoned his cabin right in the middle the craters phenomenon, creating a legible 'Y' in aerial view.

The trees were being uprooted on purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1.** A vehicle used in rough and woody terrain like the Titan Forest. Not based off of any real car model, so just use your imagination. It's a sturdy and compact SUV though. It's also not full-proof in severe conditions, but still well-rounded. Since the forest rarely has low branches, this car is an ideal form of transportation in the Titan Forest. To clarify, it _can_ take Eren half-way to the lake, but afterwards he'll have to walk the rest of the way so Eren wouldn't use it to make a trip to the lake unless he really needed to. He only has a little over half a tank after Hange or Moblit drives it up.  
>  **2.** I tried my best describing how a semi-automatic handgun works. If there's any mistake, feel free to let me know.  
>  **3.** Eren is confusing tree sap with resin here. What he touched was resin which was formed by the tree to protect its wounds. Tree sap is much more watery than resin. Resin is a thicker and stickier substance.  
>  **4.** The scientific study of trees and other woody plants.  
>  **5.** This literally a bad pun that I won't bother explaining, but if you're familiar with the whole "root of the tree of life" then that's what I'm referring to. If not, this is basically talking about the six classifying characteristics of living things: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, and excretion.  
>  **6.** The Titan Trees are based off of this [diagram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Tree_of_Living_Organisms_2.png/800px-Tree_of_Living_Organisms_2.png). They encompass this entire "tree of living organism", in other words they are this very exact tree of living organism, cause, doesn't this kinda look like a tree to you? This is where the pun comes from, because the root is literally the root of the diagram.  
>  **7.** Honey badger, look it up. That's another suicidal bastard for you.  
>  **8.** The sound made by a cricket is called stridulation, a shrill creaking sound made by the rubbing/chafing of their wings. It's a mating calling usually done by the male.


	3. Apex Predator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> /āpeks predədər/  
> a predator residing at the top of a food chain upon which no other creatures prey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really bad at keeping Hange non-binary, but I want to preserve Isayama's characters so I'll do my best. With that in mind, if Eren seems OOC it's because I read the manga. He's much more mature after growing up, but he'll still retain some of his childish behaviors from the anime.
> 
> I'm probably all over the place in my writing, but thank you for reading! Now, onwards!

After his discovery, Eren basically had to start all over from scratch.

He re-visited most of the locations marked on his map, especially the craters. Eren spent most of his daylight there, excavating the site for any traces of the perpetrator. And since he spent so much of his time there, Eren unknowingly attracted himself the attention of several guests.

—They watched him from afar, keeping a safe distance between them.

—They watched over the whole forest, so when an unwelcomed guest made comfort in their own land, they weren't too happy.

They were wary of the human, whose presence was a first in more than a couple of centuries ago.

For when a man first came to the forest to live away from the greed of his kind, he found solace in the forest's tranquility. However, a man's greed could not be controlled even by the forces of nature, and the forest suffered from his very hands. But Mother Nature is strong, and although they suffered, they mended. They were loved. Sadly though, no one came for the man after his demise, his very corpse left to wither and rot, buried by the forest's will.

The evergreens grew taller each and every year to hide humanity's corruption, the ground cover's sudden overgrowth covered any traces of humanity's corruption, the wild inhabitants sworn to never utter a word about humanity's corruption—all except one, whose race is on the brink of extinction.

They've been fighting this war for hundreds of years now, even though it should've ended back when humanity died—but because of their stubborn nature, they will be wiped off the very forest they grew to love, protect, and yearn for. They would die a death like humanity—alone in death and after—protecting a dying will that was already dead until their last breath.

This is the war of the Titan Forest.

Eren hated doing laundry. It was a time-consuming chore that he always put off until he was too broke to afford new underwear. To be honest, if he was out of options, only then did he finally get to it. It wasn't like anyone was going to notice whether he wore the same thing or not, unless it smelled that is.

So imagine how the brunette felt when he pulled the last flannel from his sad pile of clean clothes.

"Shit." Eren cursed. He would have to change his plans today about going to see the crater northeast. His clothes were desperately in need of some washing. _Hand-washing_.

Eren groaned at the mere thought. He couldn't put this off like he usually did back in Sheena. All his clothes were filthy, and not in the sense where he only wore it a handful of times enough to consider tossing it into the dirty pile, but that they had dirt stains, the occasional blood from his carelessness, and an awful stench that comes with being outside and sweating. Yeah, he definitely couldn't put this off.

Sighing dramatically, the brunette tossed his pile of dirty clothes into a wooden crate to load into the car. Fortunately, it only took two crates to fill since Eren didn't bring much with him. It's not like he needed his entire wardrobe up here, just the comfortable ones, a few jackets and some shoes.

And as cliche as this may sound, Eren quite frankly liked his flannels. He probably brought every single one that he owned with him too because he was unable to pick between which ones to bring or not bring with him.

Terrain loaded with all the necessities, Eren closed the trunk and hopped behind the wheel. With a flick of his hand, the white vehicle roared, rolling southeast towards its destination: the lake.

The lake was vast, but could not be compared to the Titan Forest itself which stretched further than a hawk's eye could see. As the only inland water, aside from a few rivers that run to and from it, there was always wild habitants around the area. Today, it looked like a moose and some hawks. Eren listened closely when he heard musical chirping. Warblers were in the area too it seems.

Overall, it was like a usual. The large herbivorous mammals ventured around the lake early in the day, then the rodents and lizards followed after they left. They stayed for most of the day, but scurrying off when any predators approached the lake. However, many of them didn't stay long. The bears usually stayed the longest, and if that was the case, Eren usually left the area to avoid a confrontation with it.

Eren never stuck around late enough to observe the night activity around the lake, and probably wouldn't ever do so. Wolves were known to prowl the area in search of prey during those hours. The brunette would rather not be dinner for any of the wildlife.

Only able to carry one crate at a time, Eren had to make two trips. By the time he was ready to start, the moose was already gone, the sun higher in the sky than Eren remembered.

Knowing his clothes would take more than a day to dry and he was losing daylight ever second he dawdled, Eren went straight to it.

Rolling the cuffs of his pants as far as they could go and slipping his socks and shoes off, the brunette wadded into the lake. Eren only went as far as he needed to be able to fill the basin with water. When wooden bucket was filled, Eren retreated back to the shore to comfortably wash his clothes without soaking the only clean pair of clothes he was currently wearing. It would not do him any good to get wet; he didn't have another change of clothes he could change into if that happened.

Back in Shiganshina, his family had to hand wash their clothes too. So Eren wasn't completely unfamiliar with the chore, but he still didn't like it. His mother always enjoyed it though, even more so when Mikasa and him helped out, Eren reminisced wistfully.

First flannel washed and wrung, Eren slapped it on a nearby rock to dry.

Carla, widower and mother of two, would always be remembered as a loving mother, but lonely soul. Although his mother adored Mikasa and him, doing all that she could for them as a single mother, her eyes were always so distant. It wasn't until Eren grew much older that he understood that look in her eyes. It was a look of longing and loneliness.

Eren vaguely remembers his father, Grisha Jaeger. The man always seemed busy with his business, saving lives and hardly home because of it. Unfortunately because of that, they only knew of his death three months after he passed. Grisha died shortly after saving a young girl's life, killed by a natural disaster common in that area.

His mother weeped for weeks when the news came. They weren't even able to lay him to rest properly, a worthy burial that should've been given to such a deserving soul.

It would take Carla months to finally move forward, working hard to support her family, the only thing left of Grisha. But Eren was certain that even though it looked like she moved on, she still felt as if she was standing in the same place when she heard of Grisha's death. Never able to fully move on after that, even though she tried.

So Eren was convinced his mother died of heartbreak, a few years later.

Her sudden passing left Eren bitter for the longest time. Even now it's still a gnawing pain he's stopped trying to fix because he couldn't help his mother out of her misery, so he would live with the pain that she did, although incomparable. It was a comforting suffering Eren was willing to live with for not being able to do anything.

Sighing, Eren took a quick break, looking up at the sky. Eren couldn't see it since the forest usually blocked out everything, but from the lake it was breathtakingly beautiful.

How Eren missed his childhood. The naivety, the innocence, and the love.

Now he was twenty-five, cynical, and forever tragically a bachelor.

By the time Eren finished—he dumped a bunch in at some point instead of doing it one by one—the sun was grazing above the treetops.

Looking over at his clothes laying on the rock, it didn't look any were dry. He'd have to come back for them late tomorrow, hopefully they would be dry by then. The jeans would take longer, but at least he'd have a flannel or two as a spare.

Too lazy to carry anything back, Eren left the basin and crates by the rocks. He'd at least take the soap back in case some rodent got too curious for their own good.

As he bent down to retrieve it, the brunette heard rustling a ways from him. Looking up to assess his surroundings, Eren remained still. Eyes concentrated on a particular bush he was certain the noise came from, Eren slowly approached the shrub in question as he held the basin in front of his bowels. Just in case he got mauled, his insides would be safe.

Right in front of it now, Eren prepared to swing around it on the count of three.

One. Two. Th—

He did **not** scream like a damsel in distress when a rabbit jumped out of the bush. He also didn't flail like a fish, losing composure and exposing his bowels for the taking. Eren did not do any of that. He was just surprised.

Cursing as he dusted himself, Eren retrieved the basin and his daypack, making for the Terrain before night came.

'Fuckin' rabbit.' The brunette kept cursing.

Unbeknownst to the human though, right behind the exact bush where the rabbit leaped out of, a black wolf held another wolf at neck point for his careless behavior.

They would've been discovered if the rabbit didn't escape. Although the tri-colored wolf mourned his dinner, the rest of the pack ignored him in favor of following their leader. The black wolf's stalked after the human, keeping his silver eyes fixed on them as he prowled silently behind the cover of trees.

They finally found their target.

Just when Eren thinks his sleep has finally been fixed, his paranoia comes back with a vengeance.

The brunette didn't notice it at first, since he's learned to throw all delusions out the window, so it took several nights before he finally admitted that there was something outside his cabin when the moon was at its highest peak. It didn't help that the scratching on the walls was a dead giveaway to every horror scene.

Tonight, it started on the eastern side, closest to the window, but always perceptibly soft in the quiet dark as if it didn't want to disturb whoever was inside. Unfortunately, they didn't do such a good job at that since Eren was wide awake and listening. After some incessant clawing though, the source would move to another part around the cabin. And then it would all repeat itself over again.

Eren nervously tried to ignore what could possibly be going on outside his cabin, hiding deeper into the blankets as if that would protect him at all. And just when Eren thought he could block it all out and attempt to sleep, the scratching stopped. Eren slowly rose from his bed, not dumb enough to check outside himself, but curious enough to maybe take a look outside one of the windows.

Making his way to the closest window, the brunette chanced a peek...

SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH! 

Eren scrambled back to his bed, throwing the blanket over his form in a sense of security.

'There's more than one!' Eren screamed internally.

Based on what he could hear, there were at least four of them. Scratch that (pun-intended), five. There was one right outside his door—Eren could see their silhouette through the small gap on the bottom of door. However, they didn't move, if anything it seemed like they were just standing there.

Sighing, Eren surrendered himself to a sleepless night as he tried drowning the clawing fear and noises with his pillow.

He would have to report this to Hange and Moblit as soon as he could. First thing in the morning.

"Scratching?" Moblit repeated.

Eren nodded visibly. He only resorted to using live messaging1 if it was urgent, and last night was **urgent**. Although he did feel guilty seeing Moblit with dark circles, he needed to inform the assistant of the dangers he was in.

"Yeah. They didn't try to forcefully break in. If it was a human, they would've approached me in daylight or broke down the door." Eren explained, trying to recall every and any detail that could be relevant.

"True." Moblit agreed, thinking as well about what could've paid Eren a visit last night. "Before last night, did you noticed anything before?" The older male inquired, in need of more evidence before he could draw his conclusion.

Eren closed his eyes, as if that would help him remember anything of interest.

Last week he washed his clothes. He didn't notice anything then. He was supposed to collect them the next day, but he got distracted doing other things. When he ventured, all his clothes were still there with no evident footprints aside from his own. The Terrain didn't have any clawing marks like the ones left behind on the cabin when he spent the night away from the cabin. He was finally able to collect his laundry too, just yesterday, and nothing strange like his previous visit.

Although, just to make sure, Eren told Moblit to hold as he checked something. When he loaded his clothes, it seemed smaller and lighter than he remembered. Eren was wary about leaving his clothes out in the open like that, but he was pretty sure it would deter most animal life away than attract them, based on the smell and color alone, so he didn't think much about it. But now, considering the circumstances, that's what started this all.

Sure enough, after going throw his clean laundry, Eren was missing his favorite flannel—the one Jean gave him for Christmas.

"Fuck."

"Eren?" Moblit called out, unsure if Eren said something or not.

Eren rushed back to the laptop, not yet sitting down, but still visible to the camera. "I'm missing a flannel!"

"What?" Moblit couldn't follow what the younger male was talking about.

"I did laundry last week. At the lake." Eren explained, hands gesturing furiously, "I was busy, so I couldn't collect them until yesterday. I went through them just now, and I'm missing a flannel."

"Are you sure you didn't just forget it?" Moblit reasoned. Wildlife weren't usually curious animals, unless it was in their nature. They wouldn't stick their nose into something that could risk their safety and survival.

Eren nodded, revealing why he was so certain, "It's, uh, my favorite flannel. It was the first thing I washed. I'm 100% sure, it's missing."

"I see." Moblit replied, contemplating this new piece of information before repeating all of everything Eren's told him so far, "Your flannel was stolen, by what we don't know yet. There are visible scratch marks outside the cabin. However, there's been no visible change of activity in the area that you've noticed?"

"At least that I know of, yes. Although, the forest has been quieter, but I figured with the weather getting colder that was common." Eren confirmed, while adding an afterthought.

"Wait. Quieter? How?" Moblit leaned forwards towards the camera. The assistant was on to something.

"Well... The birds are less chirpy, even though I see them in the forest. They're usually pretty lively. And the lake's activity doesn't seem all that active anymore." Eren disclosed.

"Active?"

"The shore was closer than usual. I've come to take that as lake activity. If it's bustling with all the animal life in the forest visiting it, then the shoreline should be just past the rocks. However, the shoreline was completely past the rocks yesterday. The rivers that empty into the lake aren't many, so it's easy to tell how active the wildlife and lake is because of that." Eren explained his analogy. It wasn't exact in the name of science, but that was what he observed over the month and a half he's been here.

"...I see." Moblit replied softly, albeit sombre.

"That's all I can remember though, Moblit. Sorry it wasn't much." Eren apologized, seeing the older male's expression for what it wasn't.

"No! It was more than enough." Moblit corrected. "I'm just not certain, but it seems like a likely answer from what you've told me."

Eren braced himself, "What is it?"

Moblit looked up at the camera, earnestly, "Wolves."

Eren slumped to the floor in alarm.

Wolves. That would explain a lot. They traveled in packs, so that explained the multiple deep claw marks left permanently on the cabin. If he was trailed, they were expert hunters that could cover their tracks easily. And scarily enough, they were intelligent. They wouldn't have made themselves known to their prey until they wanted to. So, for birds with an aerial view, they knew right away that's why the forest was recently quiet. That would also explain why there were no visitors to the lake too. The other wild animals understood there was something in the area, an apex predator, solely by not hearing the songbirds chirpping.

The brunette cursed. He was the last to realize, and too late too.

"Eren. Eren! If you can hear me, don't leave the cabin. Those are behaviors of an apex predator hunting its prey. You're the hunt, Eren!" Moblit yelled, trying to get through to the younger male, afraid that the connection cut them off.

"I'll be on my way up as soon as I can, the end of this week the latest! Until then, stay indoors or in the Terrain as much as possible if you go out. You won't be able to do much anymore since they've got your scent, so keep a low profile!" Moblit continued, repeating the same thing over and over in case he couldn't be heard clearly.

Eren could hear the assistant clearly, but somehow he couldn't move.

Was he petrified?

Is this how he would go down?

Would they force themselves in when they got too impatient of waiting for him to come out?

Damn. Eren wasn't going to be a sitting duck for anything. He took control of his own life ever since he left Sheena, and he was going to keep doing that even if he was being hunted.

Standing up, so Moblit could see he was alright and their connection wasn't severed, Eren responded, "Will do."

Will do the wolves is what he'll do.

Although wolves were the apex predator in these parts, Eren was at the very top of it all, as a human.

Eren wouldn't cower from a bunch of wolves, at least not when he had their weakness in the palm of his hand.

After that, Eren tries to go about his days with as much normalcy as he can muster. He still ventured into the forest, but didn't lose himself in his research like he used to when he was unaware. If anything, the brunette was never caught unguarded now. Although, he couldn't sense anything like a wolf around him, Eren still kept his guard up.

So after moon rise, around the time that the wolves started scratching at the walls of the cabins, Eren was mildly surprised. This was the second day he didn't hear the wolves right outside his cabin. They kept at it for a few days after Eren discovered what was hunting him, but after that it was suddenly quiet. Peaceful almost cause the warblers were singing more often during daylight and the owls louder late at night.

Was this a trick? Eren couldn't be sure, but he wasn't willing to take any chances either. He would continue to be wary.

So with little sleep throughout the night, morning finally came.

Yawning, the brunette started his morning off with some tea. As he waited for the water to purify and boil, Eren laid back down on the couch. With his mind still half asleep and eyes sore from the bright light filtering through one window, it took awhile for Eren to notice, but when he did, dear Maria was he awake.

Eyes widening, Eren rushed over to the fireplace to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving. Upon closer inspection, and around the area as well, his eyes certainly weren't playing tricks on him—the specimen he promised Hange was missing.

Just to make sure it didn't roll under anything, Eren shuffled through his papers, upended the furniture, checked every wall and corner that may have stopped it's rolling, and any and all bags that it could've accidentally fallen into. In the end, Eren could not find the jar.

Tea long forgotten, and water probably cold now, Eren opted for a quick cereal bar and juice instead so he could quickly return to his search. Maybe he left it in the Terrain, or it fell somewhere, possibly? However many scenarios he thought of though, Eren was certain none of them could be the case, since he certainly left the specimen jar on top of the fireplace. Right on the edge to the right, far enough back that it wouldn't topple so easily.

Sighing, Eren chugged the rest of his juice.

He'd just have to find another one before Moblit came up tomorrow.

Although Eren swore that he'd keep his guard up in case he was attacked by wolves, the brunette was more focused on retrieving a root specimen now. Luckily, he found one without much trouble compared to his previous struggle weeks ago. After mapping out all the crater locations, it was easier to understand where the next ones could be, as if following a trend of some sort that Eren still has yet to understand.

Opening the hatchback of the Terrain, Eren rummaged through the back trunk in search of his gloves. Founded, he donned them while making his way towards one of the craters. Making haste so he could return to the comfort of the cabin sooner, Eren unearthed all the roots that he could sift in record time.

Mission accomplished. Eren made his way back to the Terrain—hatchback still left open—removing the gloves and tossing them to their proper spot among the unorganized mess. Setting the roots down onto a rather ratty cloth, Eren wrapped them up in the handkerchief, knotting the bundle to secure it. Finished, he tucked it into one of his flannel pockets. If Eren left it laying around somewhere in the car, he might lose it during the drive back home.

Closing the trunk, Eren made his way into the driver's side. Buckled in with nothing left behind, the brunette started the car, pressing on the accelerator to get moving. It wasn't a far drive from the cabin, but he had to pass through a thicket that was shrouded in total darkness. So the sooner Eren was out of there, the better he would feel.

He was just about out, when something darted out in front of the Terrain. Surprised, Eren slammed on the brakes, rolling the car back from the bump it was trying to climb. Heart still hammering in his chest from the surprise, Eren parked the Terrain, unlocked the doors, and rushed out to check on the poor thing he probably ran over.

Now exposed and unprotected, the wolves lunged out of the trees to corner their prey.

It was an ambush. He should've known better, the brunette cursed, now backed against the hood of the Terrain. His brights here still on, and Eren could see each one clearly. There were four of them, one missing, and from the looks of it the one on the far left was calling the shots. Eren tried to remain calm, afraid any sudden movement would cause them to strike. Although, he couldn't make any moves without knowing where the last one was anyways. Eren didn't want to be ambushed a _second_ time.

'Where's the other one?'

Eren heard faint rustling underneath.

"Seriously?" Eren couldn't help but exclaim—his outburst triggering it all. The wolve's lunged.

Jumping onto the hood of the car to avoid his legs getting eaten, Eren was met with a barreling pack of wolves. Shielding himself from harm, the brunette wrestled with the dark rusty wolf trying to eat his arm while kicking and elbowing the other two to stay away, having landed a few blows to them already based on their whining. Luckily, he kicked their leader rather roughly before he even had a chance to pounce.

He couldn't just lay here on top of the Terrain while the wolves recovered, Eren needed to think fast. Chancing it, Eren propelled his body to the side, rolling with the wolf on top him and off the car. The brunette made sure to time the rolls and fall correctly, so he landed on the beast, giving him a good jab to the gut as they fell. Acting fast, Eren reached behind him for the flare gun tucked between his sweaty back and waistband.

With no hesitation, Eren fired it straight at the other wolves. As soon as the smoke and color registered in their vision, they scampered off. All, except one. The black one that must've been under the car.

'Shit.' Eren cursed. He still didn't carry the pistol even after learning how to use it. It didn't sit right with him carrying something that dangerous in a peaceful forest.

Unsure of what else to do, Eren ran. Forgetting that a wolf always like a good hunt before devouring his prey, Eren only spurred the wolf's thirst. With speeds that can reach up to 40 mph, the black wolf closed in on his target easily. Jumping to pin his target, Eren fell flat on his face. Not allowing the wolf to get any chance at ripping his head off, Eren's hands desperately grasped a fistful of dirt to throw at the wolf as he once again, rolled the wolf on top of him off.

His aim must've been on point, cause the wolf howled. Eren didn't take an chance at looking back though, continuing to run and formulate some sort of plan. Knowing that run wasn't going to get him anywhere and he'd just tire out, Eren skidded to a stop to pick up a hefty stick he could make out in the shadowy thicket. The brunette could hear the wolf right behind him as he rushed to pick up the stick.

Stick in hand, Eren whirled around, stick poised, with as much force as he could muster to smack his chaser. Unfortunately, the wolf was faster. Before he could swing at the wolf, it tackled him once again onto the ground, this time back first. It greeted Eren with it snarling, enraged at him for the dirty trick he pulled (pun intended).

Completely at its mercy now—out of breath and unable to think with the adrenaline—Eren surrendered himself, eyes closed. The brunette hoped to Maria it was quick and painless.

The black wolf paid no attention to Eren's musings and surrender, however, for it was after something else. Certain that the human wouldn't run away anymore, using its teeth and with one swell tug, it teared the shirt pocket holding the roots. With the pouch secured, the wolf stepped off the human. Backing off slowly as it kept its silver-gleaming eyes on Eren, who was now sitting up and holding the beast's gaze.

Assured that Eren wouldn't follow after it, the wolf turned his back to the human so it could trout away, a light gait in its trout as if victorious.

 _Now_ , Eren would admit to acting like a floundering fish now since that's exactly how he felt, and no doubt looked.

Finally home, and still confused and shocked over his confrontation with the wolves, Eren noticed another car parked outside the cabin. Reigning in his turmoil, Eren rushed inside the cabin to confirm his suspicions.

Sure enough, Moblit was sitting on the sofa with a grim expression as if he prepared for the worst when Eren hadn't been home for two hours. Though all traces of that disappeared when the assistant saw the brunette burst through the door.

"Eren!" Moblit stood to greet, relief in his voice.

"Moblit." Eren returned, shaking the older man's hand. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow at the latest." Moblit corrected, taking his seat again.

Eren followed suit, relaxing from the adrenaline-pumped fight he had with wolves and death.

"You were out this late? What happened to the wolves?" Moblit questioned, confused as to why Eren was out and about when he had bloodthirsty wolves on his trail.

"Oh. That." Eren sighed.

Moblit tilted his head. 'Oh. That...?' What did that mean? Did Eren take cares of the wolves already? Was he no longer in danger? What did he do to them? He didn't shoot them with the pistol, hopefully?

"I had an encounter with them on my way home." Eren explained, trying to gather his bearings. He still couldn't believe he escaped the jaws of death.

"What?!" Moblit exclaimed. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I—" Eren paused. No, he wasn't ok. He was honestly pretty shaken and stupid for going out like that, thinking he could take on wild beasts with a mere flare gun. What was he thinking?

"I'll explain it all, but I want you to listen." Eren spoke, slowly and softly. Moblit nodded in understanding, not wanting to rush the younger male who must've almost died from the looks of it.

"I went out to look for more roots. I didn't think I would encounter them since they didn't appear to be in the area anymore—" Moblit looked ready to voice his opinion, but Eren's imploring look shushed him.

"I found some, and was driving back, but then I got ambushed by them. There were five of them." Eren paused unconsciously, reliving the encounter as he recalled it all. Moblit didn't rush the brunette though.

"I was practically at its mercy, Moblit." Eren explained, eyes wide in terror and something else. "But instead of finishing me off, it took the roots." Eren's hand brushed against the hole in his flannel, catching Moblit's interest. Upon closer inspection, Moblit could see it indeed looked as if it had been forcefully teared apart. Only teeth as sharp as a canine like a wolf could leave a mess like this behind.

"Eren." Moblit addressed the younger male carefully. Eren turned to look at the assistant. "If you feel uncomfortable now, living here in the forest, I'll understand if you want to..." Moblit didn't finish his sentence, waiting for Eren to get the hint.

It took awhile, but when he did his eyes widened. "No! No!" Moblit must've misunderstood him.

"Yeah, I'm shaken up, but no harm came to me. I'm just... Confused, if anything.." Eren supplied, rubbing the back of his neck unconsciously.

"Confused? Why confused?" Moblit inquired.

Eren returned his gaze to the fireplace, particularly the spot where he left the original root specimen. Understanding dawning on him2. "Why the wolves were after the root, instead of me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1.** Live messaging is referring to video chat. Live messaging just sounded better, even though it encompasses a lot more stuff.  
>  **2.** Eren realizes that he didn't lose the specimen, but that the wolves took it, somehow.  
>  I'll be posting picture of the wolves on the tumblr if you're interested. Thanks for reading!


End file.
